For the last few months I have been dabbling in nail polish and nail art more than I have in the past. It started mainly because I thought having pretty nails would keep me from continuing to damage my cuticles and nail beds. I was right.
One of the easiest ways to venture into the world of nail art without having to be super creative or ambidextrous is with dots. I love dots of all different sizes. They are cute and feminine and it is a great way to play with colors. If you do not mind big dots you can simply use the nail polish brush, no added tools are necessary. When using the brush applicator it is important not to load the brush up with too much polish. Test your dot dab on a piece of paper first before your nail.
If you want something a little more delicate you can also use simple items from around the household like toothpicks or bobby pins. Here is an example of what the dots look like. The two smaller fingers are the toothpick while the other two are the bobby pin. I tried both ends of the tooth pick but actually liked the dots produced by the smaller end best (ring finger). I liked the function of the open bobby pin. It was surprisingly easy to hold on to. Using the bent tip end for the dipping was great for visibility too. On the forefinger I tried making bigger dots but it did not go as well as allowing for the natural dot size of this tool.
I picked up a double ended tool at Sally Beauty supply for about five bucks but I really did not like the dots it produced and I still felt limited. In one of the many nail art videos I have watched, one artist (sorry I cannot remember who it was or I would mention it) said she found a combo dotting tool pack on eBay. A quick search and sure enough, I found one for less than $3 and free shipping. The package arrived in less than two weeks.
The package includes five double sided tools. There are two sticks of two sizes each and a third size. This is actually a good thing instead of all different sizes. If I want a bunch of dots with different colors I do not have to wash the utensil before switching colors. Now that I have seen the dots made with the commercial dotting tools I definitely like them the best. The large dotting tool being my favorite (I used the largest and the smallest to make dots for the image below). I look forward to playing more with these ones.
If you are looking for some simple nail art ideas. Youtube has a plethora of how-to videos. A few of my favorite artists who make nail art look super easier are (in no particular order):
- ArcadiaNailArt
- CutePolish
- SimpleNailArtDesigns
- xoJahtna
- linda165
- luxuriousnails
- Polishpedia
- SimpleLittlePleasues
You can search for any of these names and their artwork will come up.
About Maureen Wood